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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27781468">Winter Nights</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AConspiracyOfRavens/pseuds/AConspiracyOfRavens'>AConspiracyOfRavens</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ad Astra [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fake Marriage, Friends With Benefits, Gratuitous Murder, Gratuitous Smut, Heist, Liara is too sweet and innocent to be a part of this, Multi, Porn With Plot, Pre-Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:40:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,629</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27781468</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AConspiracyOfRavens/pseuds/AConspiracyOfRavens</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the hunt for Saren, Spectre Sophia Shepard decides to try another route in Noveria. To make it through in the corporate world in one-piece, you need a council-species husband, a bodyguard, a decoy and someone who's willing to bend the rules for a favour or two.</p><p>Luckily she has everything.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian, Lorik Qui'in/Female Shepard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ad Astra [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/569503</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Winter Nights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Before anyone asks, the game went as follow:<br/>Citadel -&gt; Therum (to get Liara) -&gt; Feros (where they met Shiala) -&gt; Virmire, where both Kaidan and Ashley survived</p><p>Assume Saren is getting his new implants and licking his wounds before everyone reaches Ilos.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SENTRY OMEGA - NORMANDY CIC - 17:30 - 3 HOURS AFTER VIRMIRE</p><p>She had started planning the ruse when she first heard that Matriarch Benezia might be in Noveria. The place was a corporate world through and through so the only thing they respected was money; it was unfortunate she couldn't take Kaidan again on an undercover mission, he was awful at being bait, but very good at being a distraction.</p><p>She grimaced, she wouldn't be able to take Kaidan even if she wanted to, he was still recovering from his stint at Virmire and Wrex’s less than gentle care.</p><p>“Okay so we've got a lead on Benezia,” she started as soon as all her ground team and recon crew were in the comm room. “Sparatus sent word and Noveria’s unlikely to be cooperative.”</p><p>“‘Sparatus sent word?’ Skipper?” Ashley asked with a hint of  barely contained laughter.</p><p>“He is the Councillor I report directly to, Chief, is there a problem?” Sophia asked while arching an eyebrow, just short of glaring.</p><p>“No ma'am, it's just-” she snorted, pausing a few times to try and get herself under control, “I saw you two together last time we docked on the Citadel. It’s still odd to see Humans and Turians together, getting along I mean,” she shrugged self consciously, letting her eyes fall from her commander’s face, glancing at their own Turian with an almost apologetic grimace.</p><p>“I wouldn't let anyone else hear you say that,” Sophia said gently, she would reprimand the Chief later, in private, “we’re representing the human effort to join in the galactic community, and every action we take should be with that in mind,” she gave a decisive nod to the chief before turning to her other ground team, “as I've said, we've got a hit in Benezia, apparently she's on Noveria under Saren’s orders, but the NDC is unlikely to cooperate, not if the rumours I've been hearing of corruption are real.”</p><p>“Commander, my mother-” Liara started only to stop at Shepard’s raised hand.</p><p>“Liara,” she started “we’re dealing with a chance that your mother may be indoctrinated, if what Shiala told us is true, and I've a feeling it is, you don't need your memory of Benezia to be tainted like that,” Shepard sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, “we’re going in silent, while the Spectre card may open some doors I imagine it’s gonna be more of a hindrance this time.”</p><p>“You got a plan?” Wrex asked, his loud and slow drawl commanding attention.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m gonna have Natallia Bianchi visit the Noveria branch, either by herself or with a convenient husband in town,” she smiled at the Krogan, all teeth.</p><p>It took only a moment for Wrex’s eyes to widen in sudden recognition, a large pleased smiled spreading through his face, “I knew I recognized you from somewhere.”</p><p>“Took you long enough old man,” she chuckled, mirthless, before turning to her crew, “Natalia Bianchi is one of the aliases I use when I need to go undercover, I made her out to be a wealthy woman, if reclusive; Wrex and I crossed paths a few years ago during a job for the Alliance.”</p><p>“Is that how you knew you could trust him?” Garrus asked, his eyes piercing her, like a puzzle he had to solve.</p><p>“Yeah, mostly anyway,” she shrugged, unwilling to talk about that particular subject; it was between her, Sparatus and Wrex. “Anyway, I’m sending Natallia in, try and get her access to Binary Helix’s HQ, see what Benezia’s up to before storming the place; Wrex feel like playing security detail?” she smiled, a show of teeth more than mirth.</p><p>“You always do get in the best fights Shepard,” the massive Krogan nodded sagely, before staring fixated at her, “who’s playing the part of your husband? The Turian would be best,” he nodded toward a suddenly wide-eyed Garrus.</p><p>“You lost me Wrex, what?”</p><p>“Noveria doesn’t treat human investors seriously, not yet,” he shook his massive head, looking to his left, staring far into the distance and not at any one person in particular. “That’s not a fight you’ll need to take if you’re in a hurry to fight Saren.”</p><p>“So a husband from one of the Council species would be best to get access, well fuck me.” She snorted, looking between Garrus and Liara, she wasn’t so heartless as to lead a Liara on with this mission, especially since Liara was showing all the signs of having a crush on her. “You up for some covert work Vakarian?”</p><p>SENTRY OMEGA - NORMANDY'S COMM ROOM - 19:45</p><p>Shepard has asked Liara to meet her in the comm room that very night, she wasn't a fan of leaving talks for later, or not explaining her reasoning to someone when it was clearly bothering them. Liara needed an explanation, even if the Asari denied it.</p><p>“You wanted to see me Commander?” Liara asked, a softness in her voice that only reminded Sophia of how young she was.</p><p>“I did, I wanted to have this talk in private.” She sat on one of the chairs, motioning for the girl to sit beside her, “do you have any idea why I wanted to talk to you?”</p><p>“I can guess,” Liara said as she sat carefully next to the commander, hands clasped in front of her, looking down. “It's about my mother isn't it?”</p><p>“Yes,” Shepard said, her voice soft though the Asari still flinched at it, “I'm not trying to be needlessly cruel to you, but there's a chance your mother may be indoctrinated and we may have to kill her,” she turned to Liara, he face impassive even as she stared at her with kind eyes, “I'd spare you the pain of fighting your own mother, that's something you shouldn't have to deal with.”</p><p>“Shouldn't that be my decision? I can prove my loyalty to you if you need me to, Shepard!” Her fists clenched, nails digging into her palm, Liara could feel her carefully maintained control slipping.</p><p>“If I had any doubt over your loyalty you wouldn't be on this ship Liara,” Shepard said with an arched eyebrow at the girl, if she had even suspected that the girl had anything to do with Saren she would've thrown Liara out of the airlock faster than she could say ’by the goddess.’</p><p>“Don't I at least deserve the chance to try and talk her down?” Liara said looking down at her knees, Shepard knew her control was slipping and she really didn't want Liara to cry, she hated dealing with crying subordinates.</p><p>“If the circumstances were different I'd have no qualms about letting you two talk it out, but what do you think would happen if Benezia learnt that you were on Noveria? By now the entire galaxy knows you're on my ship, working for me to bring down Saren, what do you think she'd do?”</p><p>“She would lead you to a trap,” Liara whispered, eyes shut tight, “she'd spring the trap when you least expected it, that's how commandos work.”</p><p>Shepard blinked. That wasn't what she expected but it was always good to keep in mind, she never did pay much attention to Asari tactics.</p><p>“I’d like to keep that from happening too, there are acceptable loses and stupid mistakes, I try to minimize the second.” Shepard hated loosing people, and loosing people to stupid mistakes was worse than loosing them to better tactics from the enemy.</p><p>“I- yes, I understand.” She could see Liara clenching her fists, white-knuckled, hand shaking slightly, as her nails dug into her palm.</p><p>“Dismissed.” She sighed as she watched the Asari leave, maybe Ashley would take the girl under her wing and comfort her in a way Sophia couldn't, there was hope at least.</p><p>ATTICAN BETA - NORMANDY CARGO BAY - 21:58</p><p>“Shepard? Got a minute?” Garrus asked as soon as the elevator doors opened in the cargo bay.</p><p>“Sure, I wanted to talk to you too about our little heist.” She grinned at him, before she went to their lockers to take a look at their stocks. “You've done infiltration work before right? I've read your file.”</p><p>“I- yes, I've been undercover in a few missions, had to pose as a couple with an Asari too, once.” He walked to her side, looking at the weapons she was choosing with a nod.</p><p>“You approve?”</p><p>“Yeah, though Noveria doesn't allow their civilians to carry guns.” He stared at her intently, wondering what her plan even was for Noveria, all anyone knew was the overall plan; get to Noveria, find some way to Peak 15 and get Benezia.</p><p>“I know, I'm thinking on how we can get into Port Hanshan without drawing too much attention, I already ordered us back to the Citadel for one.” She hummed as she chose a simple Shuriken, that'd have to do.</p><p>“Back to the Citadel, then a ship to Noveria? Who will be joining us?”</p><p>“Wrex for one, he's been around enough to provide a nice cover story.”</p><p>“What about us? I have a few covers that'd work, wouldn't even need to change my clan marks.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, thinking, “I could even go as my other alias, Garrus Quentius Vakarian, Citadel recluse.”</p><p>“You can use your own name as an alias?”</p><p>“Sure, Garrus is a common enough name, and the Vakarian clan is big enough that no one would even bat an eye at it.” He shook his head, dismissing her concerns, “more important though, how are we playing this?”</p><p>“I have an idea.” Sophia smiled at him, a hint of mischief as she looked around the cargo bay. Ash was finishing with the snipers and Wrex was looking at his omni-tool. “Wrex, Ash, a word.”</p><p>“Skipper?”</p><p>“Garrus and I are going to Noveria undercover and we need a security detail, Wrex is one but we need another. You up for it chief?”</p><p>Ashley blinked a few times, looking between them. Shepard liked Garrus well enough and he was part of the Council Species, she could see why Shepard would take him. Wrex too; the mercenary had a reputation of providing security detail for high-profile personnel, but why her?</p><p>“I don't have any training in infiltration, ma’am,” she said, confused.</p><p>“I know, that's why I want you on the ground team.” Shepard crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the marine. “Truth is chief, I'm setting you up-” she raised her hand to stop her before Ashley could say anything “-by now everyone in Council Space knows you're in my ship, everyone knows your face, and will recognize you if you suddenly show up in another spaceport.”</p><p>“Me?” Ashley asked, her voice a tad higher, her eyes wide as she looked at her C.O. “What about Wrex?”</p><p>“Krogan are thought to be stupid,” the battle master rumbled, an amused undertone in his voice, “most of us are, don't get me wrong, but if they see me somewhere else they'll just think I left Shepard’s ship because of credits.”</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>“So their eyes will be on me then?” Ashley mused beginning to see what Shepard was hinting at, “if their eyes are on me, then you'll be free to do as you please.”</p><p>“Got it in one!”</p><p>SERPENT NEBULA - WIDOW SYSTEM - THE CITADEL - 4 DAYS LATER</p><p>“Explain to me, like I'm a particularly dim fledging, why are we playing dress up?” Garrus asked, his arms crossed in front of him, as they both waited for the clerk to come back with the measuring tape.</p><p>“Because off-the-rack clothes just won't do,” Shepard said, looking the women’s selection, it was all for neutral-station climates, Noveria was anything but neutral, “one sign of status is fitted clothes, fitted to my curves, to your angles, and fit to impress onlookers, so that's what we're doing.”</p><p>“I already have clothes, Shepard.”</p><p>“I've seen what you have, those are fine to impress a girl, but not enough to impress corporate assholes, so we’re getting you suits!”</p><p>Garrus groaned, as the Salarian approached them with a tape and started taking measurements; his cowl, spurts, waist - which got a flustered ‘watch it’ from Garrus - arm length and neck. “I don’t suppose you’ll be paying for this, will you?” he asked, his gizzard twisting at the thought of the bill, he had a comfortable life, but not enough to afford specific tailoring.</p><p>“Don’t be silly, this all goes under ‘extra expenses,’” Shepard waved the concern aside, looking at a pair of mustard-yellow pants before putting them back on the rack, it would clash horribly with her hair, “the Citadel is paying for it.” She stopped, turning to him with a mildly concerned look, “wait, you do know I’m paying you, right? I assumed Pressley spoke to you when you first came aboard?”</p><p>“No?” Garrus half-asked, half stated, his brows furrowing, humans were so confusing. “Should he have?”</p><p>“Yes,” she hissed through gritted teeth, she would speak to Pressley later, “I’m paying all non-alliance crew, hell, just check your bank account later.” She stopped at another rack, a black and blue overalls, with flared pant legs, pretty but not exactly fitted for Noveria. “Tell me something, what should your newly-wed bride wear?”</p><p>“W- what?” he stuttered, the change of subjects nearly giving him whiplash. He would have to remind himself to check his bank account, but that was for later.</p><p>“Our little trip to Noveria? As newly-weds? Also, you need to be at least familiar with kissing me.” She pointed out, selecting a 3-piece suit for herself, she would get it fitted, probably add some flare to the jacket, but wool would have to do for the port’s internal climate.</p><p>“We can try it if you'd like, it's been a while since I dated an Asari so I'm out of practise.”</p><p>She laughed, walking up to him, her hips moving and drawing his attention to her waist, “we will, but not now, I also need you to be a little uncomfortable when I do, to give the impression that I'm your first human, and you're my first Turian. You know, to give the impression we're doing this as a spur of the moment thing?”</p><p>He refrained from reminding her that she <em>was,</em> in fact, his first human, but something told him he wouldn't be her first Turian, nor the last. Sometimes when they visited the Citadel for supplies he could smell her relationship with another man on her, even without meaning to. He never asked, but he didn't think she was bonded with anyone, least of all a known, bonded, councillor.</p><p>He tuned out the Salarian, or tried to, and looked at Shepard. He tried to imagine her with his clan marks delicately painted on her face. Tried to imagine her in a Bonding gown, in blue, white and either red or black - her colours, he knew her well enough to guess she would hate Alliance Blue - he imagined taking her hand and tying them together, her brilliant and fierce smile as she looked at him.</p><p>Damn it, he was screwed.</p><p>“Blue, white and black,” he blurted out, feeling his palms suddenly sweaty, “it's complimentary to both our houses, in a matter of speaking.”</p><p>She thought it over with a hum, going to the lighter colours on display, “red and black are mine, they're my colours,” she looked at him as if to dare him to contradict her, he was too fascinated with the way she moved to even try, “Natallia though, Natallia is fond of pinks and purples, since we’re talking darker colours, how about blue, purple and hint or two of white?”</p><p>“That should work, I think,” he mumbled, the image of Sophia in a Bonding gown printed in his brain.</p><p>Oh he was so screwed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>as usual, read &amp; review if it pleases you! Reviews feed my soul.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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